Impregnator



M. 1. WHEELER.

IMPREGNATDR.

APPLICATION man 00131, 1919.

1,358,130. I Patented Nov. 9,1920.

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, i I F195- 11 M. 1. WHEELER. IMPREGNATOiL' APPLICATION FILED OCT. 31. I919.

1,35 s,1'30, Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

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UNITED STATES MORRIS (1'. WHEELER, 0F PORTLAND, OREGON.

IMPREGNATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

Application filed October 31, 1919. Serial No. 334,800.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MORRIS J. WHEELER, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of city of Portland, in the county of Multnomah, in the State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Impregnators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to apparatus for impregnating wood with a liquid preservative and has for its object means for effecting a close joint between a stick of wood and the open end of a treating chamber adapted to receive it.

The art of treating wood by the application to it of a preservative liquid under high pressure is well understood. If the wood is to be treated in its'entirety so that an entire stick may beintroduced into a chamber, it is necessary only to provide a suitable chamber in combination with means for applying pressure. If, however, a part of a stick is to be treated, as, for example, in treating fence posts or telegraph poles, it is necessary to provide a chamber which will receive only apart of the stick to be treated and to provide a joint between the stick and the chamber strong enough to hold the pressure applied within the chamber and sufficient to prevent leakage.

A difliculty has been experienced in practice in providing such a joint which will operate under all conditions. No means has been devised, so far as I. know, of securing or effecting a joint that is suitable for the treatment of sticks of angular contour in cross section. 1

By my invention, provision is made for effecting a close joint between the treating chamber and the stick to be treated, irrespective of the transverse contour of the latter.

What constitutes my invention will be hereinafter specified in detail and succinctly set forth in the appended claims.

. In the accompanying drawings,

Figure I is a top plan view of my apparatus showing a square stick in place within the same. 1

Fig. II is a longitudinal vertical section of the subject matter of Fig. I, showing a break in the stick and its retaining guy to indicate their indeterminate lengths. Fig. III is a section on the lines III-III of Fig. II.

Fig. IV is a side elevation of the tension lever of the gasket compressor shown in Figs. II and III. I Fig. V is a view similar to Fig. I, show mg the apparatus supplied with a round stick instead of a square stick, as shown in previous figures.

Fig. VI is a view similar to Fig. II showing the form of gasket adapted for use with a round stick.

Fig. VII is a plan view of the gasket showing an inset for adapting to take in different sizes of material to be treated.

Fig. VIII is an inside view of the gasket compressor shown in Fig. VI detached.

Referring to the numerals on the drawings, 1 indicates, by way of example, a chamber of suitable material, and of shape and dimensions to adapt it to the service required of it. It comprises a preferably integral wall upon all sides except one end, which is open and is provided with a means of liquid supply under pressure, for eX- ample, a pipe 2, communicating with a source of supply not illustrated.

The open end of the chamber 1 is provided with an annulus 3 threaded, as indi cated at 4, to the end of the chamber 1 or otherwise secured thereto. The annulus 3 is provided, at right angles to it, with an annular cap-plate 5, having a medial opening 6. The opening 6 is preferably round and of a diameter sufficient to admit of the introduction through it of a stick to be treated of the largest size and of any variety of transverse contour. A reductionplate 7 is provided for restricting the aperture 6 substantially of the shape and size of the stick to be treated. In Figs. I and III inclusive, a square stick of wood to be treated is indicated by the numeral 8, and in those figures the reduction-plate 7 is provided with a square aperture that loosely fits the transverse contour of the stick 8. Around the stick 8, I provide an elastic gasket i of any suitable material, preferably of india rubber or a composition of india with the stick 8. The squeezing effect referred to may be accomplished by a cylinder 11 threaded as indicated at 12 to the threaded exterior of the annulus 3, the cylinder 11 being provided with an inturned annular flange for engagement with the re duction-plate 10.

In dealing with sticks like the stick 8, of transverse angular contour, some provision is necessary for compelling operative contact of the gasket with the stick under the lateral compression obtained by screwing down the cylinder 11 upon the annulus 3.

Accordingly, I provide around the periphminishing the length of the hoop is provided in the end thereof which carries a pivotal connection 20 between the hoop and the link 18.

I prefer to make the gasket 9 of four sections, 21, 22, 23, and 2 1, respectively, as shown in Fig. III, each section being appli-. cable to a corner of the work against which. the gasket is applied.

It is necessary, in the local treatment of wood in the manner hereinbefore set forth, to provide means for preventing an outdrive of the work while under pressure. For that reason I show, in Figs. I and II a guy 25 consisting of a flexible member passed-over the end of the member 8 and secured at opposite ends as indicated at 26 and 27, to'the flange 15 of the cylinder 11, which is to say, in effect, to the chamber 1.

In order to permit the free movement of the gasket 9 under compression, and to facilitate its joint-effecting action, the surface of it, wherevernecessary, may be covered withparaflin or parafiin coated paper; but this I deem to be an obvious incident to the operation of my invention.

If the material to be treated is of cylindrical or substantially cylindrical contour, the means for compressing the joint-effecting gasket may be simplified. Mechanism for such purpose, for example, is shown in Figs. V, VI, and VIII. In those figures the chamber 1, with its pipe 2, and the members 3 and 5, may bexthe same as those shown in preceding figures. The reduction-plate 7 may be used if necessary, but may-be omitted if the diameter of the material to be treated is great enough, as it is shown to be in Figs. V and VI. In those figures, 30 indicates a round stick of wood illustrated as set in the chamber for treatment. An

annular gasket 31 in juxtaposition to the gasket is inclined on one side, as indicated threaded circumference of the cylinder 11.

The inclination of the zone 34 corresponds to that of the inclined side 32 of the gasket. Qonsequently, the compression produced by the zone 34 against-the gasket 31 tends to drive it into close contact with the stick 30 and to eliminate any,tendency of the gasket to buckle therefrom. The inner face of the zone 34: is preferably threaded, as is clearly shown at 35 in Fig. VIII of the drawings, the threads 35 being made to work, substantially, halfas fast as the threads of the ring 33.

The guy 25 is shown in Figs. V and VII as secured to cars 36 and 3'? projecting from a collar 38 surmounting the zone 3 1.

It will be observed from the foregoing description, that it is only necessary, in order. to adapt the chamber 1 for the treatment of sticks of different contours, to change gaskets and gasket compressors, the reduction-plates 7 and 10 being designed for interchangeable service at will.

In Fig. VII, I. show convenient means for enlarging the capacity of the gasket 31. The means referred to consist of an inset r10 that is let in between the ends produced by the severing of the gasket 31. Inset 40, when in place, conforms to the contour of the gasket and becomes, when in place, a

part of it and compressible by the same means as the gasket'31 without any inset is compressed.

What I claim is: i

.1. In an apparatus of the class described, an open-ended chamber adapted to have the end of a stick inserted therein, and means for sealing the end of the chamber about a stick to be treated within the chamber, said means comprising a sectional compressible gasket formed in a plurality of paired sections, one of said pairs being replaceable by a pair of diiferent size whereby the diame- .ter of the central opening in said gasket may be varied.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, an open-ended chamber, a cap removably secured to said chamber and having a medial opening therein, a compressible sectional gasket over said cap, said gasket having sections replaceable by sections of different size to vary the diameter of the central opening of said gasket, an adjustable removable band encircling said gasket vto prevent outward extension thereof under compression and to hold the sections together, and means for compressing said gasket into contact with a stick having its end inserted therethrough and through said cap into-the chamber, said means comprising a member adjustably connected to said chamber. and adapted to press said gasket upon said cap.

S. In an apparatus of the class described, an open-ended chamber, a cap on the open end of the chamber, said cap having a medial opening therein, a gasket on said cap and having its opening registering with the opening in said cap, and means for compressing said gasket about a stick inserted through said gasket and cap into said chamber, said means comprising a second cap having a threaded ;connection withsaid chamber and formed with a portion overlying said gasket, said second mentioned cap having a medial opening registering with the opening in said first mentioned cap and serving to compress said gasket between the caps when adjusted to sealing position.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, an open-ended chamber, a cap on the open end of the chamber, said cap having a medial opening therein, a gasket on said cap haying its opening registering with the opening in the cap, and means for compressing said gasket about a stick inserted through said gasket and cap into said chamher, said means comprising reduction plates on opposite sides of said gasket and a compression cap having a threaded connection with said chamber and formed with a portion overlying said gasket, said compression cap having a medial opening therein and pressing upon the upper of said reduction plates to compress the said gasket between the caps.

5. In an apparatus of the class described an open-ended chamber adapted to have the end of a stick inserted therein, a strap connected'to said chamber and adapted to be looped over a stick inserted in the end of said chamber to prevent ejection of the stick from the chamber, and means for sealing the end of the chamber about a stick to be treated within the chamber, said means comprising a compressible gasket and means adjustably secured to the chamber and adapted to compress the gasket into close contact with the stick.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MORRIS J. WHEELER.

Witnesses:

J OSEPH L. ATKINS, J OHN B. CLELAND. 

